It is normally difficult for the average exerciser to perform chin-up or dip exercises since strong upper body muscles are required. In most, the upper body muscles are not sufficiently developed. Even if the exerciser can manage a few, repetitions are desirable to develop muscle strength and stamina and to achieve aerobic benefits. Accordingly, the present invention addresses this problem by assisting the exerciser.
It is a principle object and purpose of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus for the upper body muscles which assists an exerciser to perform chin-ups and dips by providing an upward assistance force opposite the force of gravity.
It is a further object and purpose of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus for the upper body muscles that provides an upward assistance force which is uniform at all times during an exercise.
It is an additional object and purpose of the present invention to provide an exercise apparatus for the upper body muscles having a platform for an exerciser to stand on that travels in a vertical path without angular displacement.
A patentability search was conducted on the present invention and the following U.S. Patents were uncovered in the search:
______________________________________ PATENTEE U.S. PAT. NO. ISSUE DATE ______________________________________ Roberts 4,111,414 September 5, 1978 Lepley et al 4,452,447 June 5, 1984 McFee 4,470,597 September 5, 1984 Martin 3,707,285 December 26, 1972 Martin 3,716,231 February 13, 1973 Fulkerson, Jr. 3,592,465 July 13, 1971 Cook 4,325,547 April 20, 1982 ______________________________________
Roberts (U.S. Pat. No. 4,111,414) illustrates the present state of the art regarding upper body exercise devices. A loop harness for the legs of the exerciser is attached to a cable which goes around an overhead pulley. The device is difficult to get into. The weights must be set before the exerciser puts his or her legs into the harness: therefore, the exerciser must pull down the harness while inserting his or her legs. This is to be contrasted with the simple mounting procedure of the present invention. Additionally, the height of the chin-up bar must be adjusted for each exerciser.
McFee (U.S. Pat. No. 4,470,597) illustrates some of the problems which the present invention overcomes. An oscillating platform is articulated to parallelogram arm assemblies for knee flexibility exercises. FIG. 3 of McFee shows that there is angular displacement of the platform 13 during its movement from a lower position to an upper position. This is necessarily so since the back pivot points 19 are fixed. In the present invention, the platform travels in a vertical path with no angular displacement of the platform: The angular displacement occurs at the back pivot points. Angular displacement of the platform would be undesirable since the feet would move in an arc while the hands are planted on either the chin-up or dip handles.
In Lepley (U.S. Pat. No. 4,452,447), a platform for ankle exercises has three hydraulic cylinders which allow movement of the platform in three directions. Lepley provides resistance so that the force of the foot pushes fluid back into a reservoir. The present invention, conversely, decreases the amount of work necessary by assisting the exerciser.
In the Martin U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,707,285 and 3,716,231 a chin-up and dip exercise device has a platform attached to elastic spring members which provide an upward assistance force. Since the elastic members behave in a manner similar to springs, the amount of upward assistance force will vary depending upon the distance the member is stretched from its equilibrium position. Therefore, the upward assistance force will vary during the movement of the platform. In the present invention, the amount of upward assistance force is maintained uniform during the course of movement of the platform.